Kimberley a City of Firsts

1882 First city in the Southern Hemisphere to install electric street lighting(September 2)
1890 First 7th Day Adventist Church in SA established by Pieter Wessels.Declared a National Monument in 1967.
1891 Henrietta Stockdale became the first matron of the new Kimberley hospital.
? First city in South Africa to switch on an automatic telephone exchange.
? First Stock Exchange in South Africa.
1904 First Electric Tram in South Africa
1904 First city or town to manufacture compressed bricks and terracotta ornaments
1912 First Woman trained as a pilot.
1919 First dummy pass in rugby.
1931 First airport to install lighting equipment and first night landing by a pilot.
1940 First female municipal traffic wardens.
1954 First state school for physically disabled.
1969 First Woman judge: Miss Justice Leonora van de Heever.
1976 First housing scheme, Ipopeng in Galeshewe, for black mine workers.
1983 First black town council: Galeshewe.
1983 First coloured priest to become a Bishop
1992 First City council to amalgamate all group areas.